Nymphs

(7,677 words)

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A. Myth

N. are female nature deities. The Greek nymphe originally meant ‘bride’, or, generally, a young woman ready for marriage, and was also used of people (e.g. Hom. Od. 4,743). The “divine N.” (Hes. Theog. 129f.) are either immortal (Paus. 10,12,3) or very long-lived mortal beings, and as such stand between the human and divine races (Hom. H. 5,257–259). The N. were originally an undefined …